The Pheasant
By: GrumpyMagrat & Magratconvert
Disclaimer: We do not own the Thunderbirds. Neither have we made any money off this story. We keep hoping, but alas, it doesn't seem like either wish will be coming true.
Author's Note: This story is part of our "Farm Series". It is set pre-Thunderbirds, while the boys were young. This story is dedicated to Lauren, who has given us inspiration and friendship. Thank you so much.
Jeff sighed as he climbed into his SUV. It had been a long but productive business trip. He couldn't wait to see his boys again. It had been four days and he missed them terribly. As he drove toward the farm he began to contemplate the events in his life that had lead him to where he was today. As a young man, he enjoyed a charmed life. He had joined NASA after a fulfilling tour in the Air Force. He had a beautiful wife and a growing family. Then tragically his world collapsed when he unexpectantly lost his beautiful Lucille. Suddenly he was a single father trying to raise five boys. It had been a long hard road. His boys grew by leaps and bounds as did his business. His company grew so fast that he was called "the man with the 'Gates' touch". Most people however did not realize how much hard work had been involved with its growth, and how much he had missed while he had devoted himself to the business. He hadn't, not until three years ago when his father died of a heart attack. His family suddenly took on a new importance. He moved his family back to the family farm in Kansas. Thankfully modern technology allowed him to run his business from anywhere in the world.
Jeff slowed his vehicle as he approached the driveway, which was hidden between two wheat fields. He smiled to himself as he thought about how his dad used to scare the young couples who mistook the drive as a "lover's lane." He used to sneak up to the car and shine a flashlight into the faces of the startled couple. It was a good thing that they lived on a seldom used road since most of the would-be lovers sped back on to the road heedless of traffic.
Jeff turned into the drive and headed towards the house that sat about 200 yards back from the road. About halfway up the drive, Jeff spotted a pheasant leisurely walking up the drive. "No big deal." Jeff thought. "He'll move as I get closer." Much to Jeff's surprise though, instead of flying away as the vehicle got closer, the pheasant just casually sauntered up the drive in front of the SUV. Jeff revved the engine in a hope to startle the bird into flight. It didn't work. Jeff laid on the horn in an effort to scare the bird away. Still his efforts were in vain. His only choices were to run the bird over or wait for it to move out of his way. He chose to wait. Finally about ten yards from the house the pheasant darted out of the drive and into the line of trees that circled the house.
Jeff parked his SUV in front of the house. When he stepped out of the vehicle he found himself mobbed by four of his sons, who were all talking at once.
"Dad!" (Alan)
"You're home." (Gordon)
"It's good to see you." (Virgil)
"How was your trip?" (John)
"Did you find that sheet music that I asked for?" (Virgil)
"Did you bring us anything?" (Gordon)
"I want you to see my science fair project." (John)
"Gordon ate a bug." (Alan)
"Shut up Alan." (Gordon)
Jeff laughed. "Whoa, slow down guys. Not all at once. Where's Scott?"
"He went to the mall with Pete." Virgil said. "He's supposed to be back by dinner."
"Fine," Jeff replied. "Help me with my bags and maybe I can find something for you in them."
The three older boys each grabbed a bag out of the SUV, and the five Tracys headed toward the house. Jeff placed an arm around Alan's shoulders. "Did you guys behave while I was gone? I hope that I won't be getting a bad report from your grandmother."
Alan looked up at his dad with an angelic look on his face. "We were good, Daddy. I promise."
Jeff laughed at Alan's child-like innocence. He opened the door with his free hand. "Then how about you tell me about the bug that Gordon ate?"
Laughter filtered through the door as it closed behind them.
The following week Jeff stormed into the house late one afternoon.
"Jeff, is something wrong?" His mother asked.
Jeff sighed. "No, it's just that stupid pheasant. It's driving me crazy."
"Oh come on Jeff." His mother admonished. "It's just a bird. It's not like it's out for you personally."
Jeff shook his head. "That's just it Mom. I know that it sounds ridiculous, but it seems like that bird is out to get me."
Mrs. Tracy shook her head. "You really don't believe that, do you?"
"I don't know, Mom." Jeff replied. "That bird doesn't bother you or Scott, just me. It's not like it's doing anything awful, just irritating. Every time I leave or come home, it's there in the drive slowing me down. I know that I shouldn't let it bother me, but after a long day, I just want to get home and that stupid bird slowing me down is just the last straw."
She patted his shoulder. "Well, you're home now, so just relax."
Jeff nodded. "You're right mother. I shouldn't let this bother me. It is just a bird after all."
Three days later, Mrs. Tracy heard the front door slam and heard her son's voice bellow. "Scott, John, Virgil, I need you."
"Jeff, dear, what is the matter?" She asked as she entered the front room.
Jeff scowled. "I don't want to talk about it, Mother."
Just then the three boys came into the room. "What's up Dad?" Virgil asked.
"Scott, get the tractor out." Jeff began to give orders. "Virgil, John, grab the tow chains. I need some help getting the SUV out of the front ditch."
"What in the world?" Jeff's mother exclaimed.
"Not now Mother." Jeff cut her off.
Mrs. Tracy was not going to be put off. "Boys, go do what your father asked. He will join you in a few minutes."
The three boys left and Mrs. Tracy turned back toward her son. "You are not leaving until you explain to me how you put the SUV into the ditch. You didn't even do that when you were first learning to drive."
"Mother, please…" Jeff replied.
"Jefferson…" She said in the stern tone that all mothers have.
"All right, FINE!" Jeff said in exasperation. "I've had a really frustrating day and when I pulled in, there was that da…stupid bird, and I decided that I wasn't going to take it anymore. I decided that if it wouldn't move out of my way, I was going to run it over."
Jeff paused in his explanation. Mrs. Tracy raised an eyebrow and prompted. "And…"
Jeff ran a hand through his hair. "I couldn't do it, all right. There I said it. At the last second, I couldn't do it, so I swerved and ended up in the ditch." Jeff could see that his mother was trying to stifle a laugh. "It's not funny Mother!"
"Oh yes it is." She replied laughing. "I'm sorry to laugh, but think about it. You played chicken with a pheasant and lost."
"Fine. Go ahead and laugh, but I will have the last laugh." Jeff fumed as he headed out the door.
The following week Mrs. Tracy found her son at the kitchen table cleaning his shotgun and carefully examining it to make sure that it was in correct working order.
"Jeff dear, what are you doing?" She asked.
"Hunting season starts next week and I want to make sure that my gun is working properly." He replied.
"Hunting season?" She questioned. "But you haven't gone hunting in years."
"Well, this year, I have an incentive." Jeff said.
"This is about the pheasant, isn't it?" She asked with laughter ringing in her voice.
"I said that I would get the last laugh, and I intend to." Jeff replied.
"But darling, you couldn't even hit the bird with a car. What makes you think that you are going to be able to shoot it?" She jokingly pressed her son.
"It has to do with how I was taught." Jeff replied seriously. "I was taught how to shoot at game, but I was taught to always be careful with a vehicle. That's why I couldn't purposely hit it with the SUV, but I will be able to shoot it. Believe me. I will make it pay for driving me nuts these past few weeks. I will have my revenge."
Mrs. Tracy shook her head but patted Jeff's shoulder. "We will see, dear. We will see."
On the first day of hunting season, Jeff took the morning off. He was a man on a mission. After giving his sons and mother strict orders to stay in the house, he headed toward the driveway at the time that he normally would have left. Much to his surprise, the pheasant was no where to be seen. He followed the tree line searching for the missing bird. After a while he headed back to the house. It was getting close to the time that the boys needed to leave for school.
After carefully locking the shotgun back in the gun cabinet, he walked into the kitchen and was immediately bombarded with questions.
"Did you get it?" (Virgil)
"Where is it? What are you going to do with it?" (Gordon)
"I didn't hear a gunshot." (John)
"Maybe he was too far away." (Scott)
"I want to see the dead bird." (Alan)
"Calm down." Jeff said. "No, I didn't get the pheasant. He wasn't in the drive. After you boys leave for school, I'll park the SUV in the drive and leave it running. Maybe the sound of the engine will bring the bird out of hiding."
"I want to see it when I get home." Alan said.
"Me too." Gordon chimed in.
"I'll keep that in mind." Jeff said. "Now get going. I don't want you guys late for school. I'll see you this evening."
Jeff spent the morning searching in vain for the pheasant, so he went to his office figuring that he could get the pheasant that evening. He was mildly surprised when he got home to find the driveway empty. During the following days the drive remained empty. Jeff came to the conclusion that someone else had gotten the pheasant. He was a little disappointed but at least his constant irritation was finally gone.
Ten days later, which also happened to be the first day after hunting season ended, Mrs. Tracy was in the kitchen while Jeff was getting ready to head to the office.
Jeff stepped into the kitchen. "I may be a little late coming home tonight. I have a lot of meetings and calls scheduled for today."
Mrs. Tracy nodded her head. "That's fine dear. I'll handle the boys. Just try to get home before they have to go to bed. You know how disappointed they are if they don't get to spend some time with you in the evening."
Jeff gave his mother a peck on the cheek. "I'm sure that I can get home before that. I love you Mother. I'll see you later."
Mrs. Tracy heard the front door open and close as her son left for the day. A few minutes later she heard the door open and close again and heard her son's footsteps as they made their way to his bedroom. She was a bit confused and moved to the hall to wait for him to come back out of his room. When he didn't reappear in a few minutes, she crossed to his door and knocked on it. "Jeff, can I come in?"
She heard a muffled "Yes", so she opened the door. The sight that met her really confused her. Jeff lay in his bed with the blanket pulled up over his head.
"Jeff, what are you doing?" She asked. "I thought you were going to work. Are you sick?"
Jeff poked his head out from under the blanket. "No, I'm not sick, but I'm not going to work today." He threw the blanket back up over his head.
Mrs. Tracy sat at the edge of her son's bed. She was concerned about him. It was totally out of character for him to act like this. "Do you mind me asking 'why you're not going to work'?"
She heard a mumble come from under the blanket but couldn't understand what the words were.
"What did you say?" She asked. "I couldn't understand you through your blanket."
Jeff threw the blanket back and said loudly. "I said, 'IT'S BACK'!" With that statement the blanket went back over his head.
His mother patted his shoulder through the blanket, but he could still hear the laughter in her voice as she said. "Now, I understand." She left his room still laughing.
THE END
Author's Note part 2: Again this is based on a true story. The part of Jeff was based on Convert's uncle (Grumpy's brother). That pheasant drove him nuts for almost two years and did disappear during hunting season and would re-appear right after hunting season. Although my uncle never did hide under his blankets, it just seemed like a humorous thing to do. I know there have been many times that I would love to hide from life under my blankets.